As Governor Yan’s most trusted subordinate, Adjutant Li’s efficiency was no joke.
When Chu Jiao came home from school the next day, she saw a curious group of people going in and out of the mansion next door as though it had suddenly changed owners overnight.
On the next day she had gotten off from school, Chu Jiao was just about to leave on her bicycle when she spotted a familiar car.
“….Brother Yan?” The car windows were tinted, so Chu Jiao was slightly unsure of her surmise. However, a person wearing a captain’s military uniform was standing pencil-straight beside the car. Chu Jiao immediately recalled that he was one of Yan Zhan’s people.
“I was just along the way, why don’t I send you home.” The car window rolled down, finally revealing Governor Yan’s handsome face.
“But I brought my bicycle…” After Father Chu had passed away, all the servants also started taking off. And so, in the end, only the loyal and devoted old housekeeper remained in the spacious Chu Residence. Naturally, the full-time driver had also left, so even though she had a fully-functional car in her backyard, Chu Jiao simply went through the storeroom and took out a heavy-duty bicycle, treating it as her new form of transportation since she didn’t know how to drive.
Adjutant Li obediently stood by the car feeling his back turn numb, and without even needing to turn his head around, he already knew that his family’s Governor was sending daggers at the back of his head.
He immediately put on a currying smile and seized the bicycle from Chu Jiao’s grasps, “Miss Chu, don’t worry. I’ll definitely send your bicycle home without any damage! Your body is far too precious and delicate. It’s better for you to enjoy the safety of riding a car.”
She thought that the scene was a bit amusing. With their respective identities and statuses, why did it feel like they had gotten it mixed up?
Yan Zhan suddenly turned his head, “How’s your injury doing?”
He remembered the bleeding whip marks on Chu Jiao’s arms back then, his worried gaze falling on the young lady’s exposed skin.
“I need to thank Brother Yan for the ointment.” Originally, it was just a small injury that would’ve turned into a scab within two days, but Chu Jiao lifted her hand and cheerfully waved it in front of him.
The man abruptly caught her wrist.
Yan Zhan couldn’t feel reassured. He brought the girl’s arm closer to his face and thoroughly inspected the area.
“You can’t turn lax.” He said with a stern face, “It’s best not to let it come into contact with water for the following days, otherwise, it would only leave a nasty scar.”
The man’s hand was dry and warm, his thumb stroking the wound so gently and slowly that Chu Jiao felt a little itchy.
Her wrist felt itchy and her heart itched as well.
She pretended to be difficult and playfully teased the man. ‘But, I already signed up for the school’s ‘Girls Only Swim Club.’”
At the beginning of the Republic era, along with the rise of the women’s liberation movement, swimming had also become one of the early signs of physical liberation and had become fairly popular among the schools in the country.
Swimming will undoubtedly cause one’s entire body to get wet. Moreover, she would also have to wear those tight-fitting and revealing clothes…. As someone who has received higher education, Yan Zhan fully understood the reasoning behind the women’s liberation movement, however, just the thought of this girl’s beautiful body being exposed to other men’s eyes caused his heart to feel stifled.
He instantly frowned, “You’re not allowed to go.”
In response, Chu Jiao raised a brow.
As soon as these words left his mouth, Yan Zhan also felt that he had been a little too unreasonable, so he immediately followed up with a valid explanation, “If you want to learn how to swim, I can teach you.” In the past, he had served in the north China navy for some time, so swimming was a cinch for him.
“Alright then…” Chu Jiao nodded at the compromise, “I’ll ask the club president for a leave then.”
Yan Zhan held back the words ‘Why don’t you simply withdraw from the club altogether’ from carelessly spilling out of his mouth.
The previous prattle of his father suddenly floated into mind. When chasing after girls, you cannot make haste. You cannot be hurried. One needed to slowly plan for each step of the way.
Silence gradually fell inside the car, and a dense air once again surrounded the two.
Yan Zhan continued to stare at the back of the car seat, whereas Chu Jiao turned her head to gaze at the moving view outside the windows.
It was as though nothing had changed from before.
Apart from the hands that were interlocked between the two.
Yan Zhan acted like he had forgotten about the matter, his hand remaining loosely wrapped around the girl’s delicate wrist, which he held by his side.
Chu Jiao cast a glance at the man’s reddening ears and didn’t retract her hand. When she looked back at the flourishing scenes rapidly flashing by the car window, her lips pursed into a small smile.
This awkward atmosphere didn’t last for much longer, because they eventually reached their destination.
“Thank you, Brother Yan. I’ve reached home.” Chu Jiao gently shook her arm, making Yan Zhan release it immediately.
He didn’t know when his palm had started sweating, but Yan Zhan still helped open the door for Chu Jiao.
Chu Jiao pushed the doors open and got out of the car. When she turned around, she saw that Yan Zhan had gotten off as well.
“?” If eating her tofu1Eating someone’s tofu means to get handsy with them while on the road wasn’t enough, was this man planning on making her invite him to her house and sit for a while?
Chu Jiao felt that this man was a little mensao 2Mensao: In case you forgot what this means, it means cold on the outside, passionate on the inside..
“Cough.” Yan Zhan pointed to the mansion right next to the Chu Residence, “I’ve also reached home.”
Chu Jiao’s eyes immediately widened. She thought to herself, ‘This man wasn’t a little mensao….’.
‘Rather, he was very mensao.‘
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